Listen.. I should've known something was up when the FMC was all "yeah, he thought I was his assistant because I'm a woman, ugh, men. I'm such a feminist!" because it reminded me heavily of a book I'd read and DNFd earlier in the year that was written by a raging Republican who wanted to make her FMC seem like a feminist who didn't let anyone step on her only for her to turn out to be an obedient housewife. I also wasn't fond of the attitude of the MMC towards the FMC. Honestly I wouldn't have given him the time of day on a blind date if I were her. Their chemistry did not make sense to me, and not to mention this book was very.. AI positive. Icky. All this, and come to find out this author is an islamophobe! Do not waste your time.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK and OMC for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

I think there was good opportunity for this book but it didn’t quite hit the mark. There were a lot of chances for small changes that would have enhanced the book. While I liked the main characters they ended up being pretty flat.

I really enjoyed this book. The plot was lovely and the characters were well written.
The start of it was a bit slow but once you got into it the story was cute.
I felt the ending was a bit too fast and rushed - but I adored the story nonetheless.

I just read the most fun romcom. The Wedding Date Disaster was such a heartwarming and fun read. A five star review!

I really enjoyed the premise of this story. I also enjoyed the setting. Unfortunately the two main characters just could not hold it all together. There a was a severe lack of chemistry after no sparks in the beginning. They both were too backhanded and secretive in small ways. I never found a way to connect to with them or even like either of them really. This was just a bust.

When I started reading this book I honestly wasn't sure if I will be able to finish it. The first half of the book presented the main character as an unlikable female who is trying to be liked by everyone while constantly judging everyone around her. It felt like the author was trying to force a point of view on to the reader making I a slow and dry start. Somewhere in the middle the book becomes very enjoyable. This author writes well making the read really smooth. I believe that with some edits and cuts in the first half this couple be a real hit.

While I’m a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, The Wedding Disaster Date didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

From the start, I struggled to get into the story due to the oddly intense focus on the designer clothes at Peacock Press. It felt out of place and disrupted the flow of the narrative, making it hard to fully engage with the book.

The resolution between the FMC and her family also felt rushed and unrealistic. Given the deep trauma they caused her over the years, her quick forgiveness seemed too sudden and didn’t feel earned.

On a more positive note, I appreciated the literary references and the witty humor scattered throughout the book, though I could have done without the mention of J.K. Rowling.

Overall, the book did have enough charm to keep me reading. It’s a quick, easy read and could still be enjoyable for those who enjoy more complex relationship dynamics.

I am loving all these light hearted cutesy books that make me feel like I’m in high school again and reading about love the first time.

Gemma Evans is a hard working editor at Peacock Press, who has just been passed over for a promotion over her work nemesis, Ben McDonald. To top it all off, her sister, Lulu, is getting married at a luxurious villa in Italy and her long-term, very practical partner, Adam, decides not to join Gemma at the wedding as he's trying to prepare for his new job. Gemma enlists her friend to help her find a fake date for the wedding who could stand in as Adam to avoid further disdain from her family. Gemma is beside herself when none other than Ben shows up to be her +1.

The Wedding Date Disaster has fake dating, family strife, and workplace rivalry, all while Gemma works to transform herself from an emotional doormat into a self-assured whole person.

I had some challenges with the book at the beginning where there was an intense focus on the designer clothing that was going on at Peacock Press, which felt a bit out of place, but I think was there to show Gemma's general discomfort and feeling like she didn't fit in. However, I really had some challenges with the events with Lulu and some of the tasks and ways Lulu and Gemma's family treated her were just excruciating. It made the resolution at the end feel too quick for a lifetime of being put last in everyone's eyes.

I did appreciate seeing Ben pull Gemma out of her shell and the enemies to lovers romance absolutely sucked me in. However, there are some HP references in there that I really wish had been replaced by something else just given how JK has fully tainted that franchise.

Overall, this is a fun, quick book with a lovely romance element, but some challenges meant it wasn't quite a home run for me. Thank you so much to HarperCollins One More Chapter and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Oh this book could’ve been so good. It could’ve been an about a girl learning to have a backbone and a fake-dating situation that helped her do so. It had such great potential. Sadly, this book was majority dialogue with the female main character getting kinda bullied by her family. The backbone eventually came, but not until around 80-90% of the way through. I would’ve been able to overlook that, but I couldn’t overlook the cheating that happened the entire book. I think emotional cheating is a thing, and this book had that heavily incorporated (along with a kiss that then made her feel like she was actually cheating). This isn’t a terrible story by any means, and if you’re looking for an easy read with banter and a humor filled fake-dating relationship, then this is a good one to pick up. Just avoid if cheating or bad relationships with family members bother you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Absolutely brilliant book!
I am a big fan of this author and love the writing style!
I cant wait to read more!

I really needed Gemma to have a backbone because she definitely did not have one. This book was a confusing one on whether i liked it or not. I didn't like how judgmental gemma was towards everyone and just not a very likable character. ALSO she had a BOYFRIEND and she still kissed another guy twice???? wild to me. Gemma shouldv'e either broken up with her boyfriend or just control yourself and dont cheat on your partner?? It was interesting and i don't know if im the biggest fan.

This was a great read! I loved the Italian setting and the banter between the characters was fantastic.

You can't help but feel sorry for Gemma. She tries so hard to please every one, but it never quite works for her. I loved the way this book played out. So many bits to work out. Real feel good vibes.

Well, this book was a miss for me…

One of my issues with this book is that I didn’t like either of the leads. The FMC Gemma was too judgemental and annoying for my liking and the MMC Ben was rather rude. I did not feel the chemistry between them at all either. It also bothered me that they kissed twice while fake dating. I mean Gemma has a BOYFRIEND. He might not be the most attentive partner but that was still so wrong. There were just a few too many inappropriate moments between them that made me uncomfortable because again Gemma is NOT single.

I also went into this book expecting a fun romantic comedy, but the book was a bit depressing. Gemma’s family treats her like crap. They honestly bully her at times and she just takes it. It was hard to read.
Overall, the book had a lot of tropes I typically enjoy, but the execution could have been better.

***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

I really enjoyed this book! There’s a beautiful Italian setting and a tension filled enemies to lovers arc! That kiss scene… phew! Hot! I do wish Gemma had more of a backbone but I understand that’s part of her growth and story line. It was overall super fun and romantic!

I came across this one and the comparison with the spanish love deception is what drew me in but i feel like i got lost on the way somehow
And quite honestly i did not like the man character but it was an easy read and think it worth trying it
Thank you so much to the publisher for the arc

Who would have thought that a kissing scene would be so hot! Seriously, I’ve never been so hooked on the will they/wont they kiss (ps they did kiss and it was 🔥🔥)

I loved the banter between Ben and Gemma, the chemistry was there from the get go but Gemma just couldn’t see it. I wanted to shake her at some points and scream at her for being too nice! Ben was the only person she could be her true self with and he stood by her the whole time, truly the best book boyfriend 😍

If your looking for a light enemies to lovers read with a little bit of heat, this one is for you.

This was a quick and easy read. Gemma's emotional turmoil is palpable in the first half of the book. However, I do feel like the final third of the book was a bit flat and storylines were sort of out of control. At times, the payoffs and emotional beats felt unpolished and rushed. Which resulted in character arcs feeling out of place. I really wanted the setting of Italy to thrive and it didn't really pop in this book. Ben and Gemma's journey could've been set up better so I'm giving this 3 stars.

Thank you HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the arc!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a good book!! This one had me hooked from page one! I could t put it down. I loved the writing style of this book. I lived the characters and they had great chemistry.